Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Wi-Fi Start-Up Ozmo Devices Challenges Bluetooth Technology

Ozmo Devices, which has raised $12.5 million since 2005, officially introduced a new low-powered Wi-Fi chip and software that will allow device makers to connect accessories like headsets, computer mice, speakers, and keyboards to laptops, mobile phones, and other consumer electronics using Wi-Fi.

For laptop and device manufacturers, using Ozmo's software means not having to include a separate Bluetooth radio in these devices to connect peripherals. With the Ozmo software installed on their devices, these manufacturers can simply use the Wi-Fi chips that already exist in laptops, gaming consoles, mobile handsets, and other devices.

Unlike Bluetooth, which only provides short-range connectivity between peripherals and devices, Wi-Fi is used primarily to provide Internet connectivity. Bluetooth is widely used by thousands of device manufacturers for short-range wireless communications within a range of about 30 feet, but runs on a separate radio from Wi-Fi.

In order for the Ozmo technology to work, device makers will have to embed Ozmo's software. And peripheral makers will have to integrate the Ozmo chip, which includes a subset of the Wi-Fi standard, into their devices.

Ozmo's technology offers faster data transfers and better battery life on the actual peripherals, such as headsets, than Bluetooth offers. And because security is already built into Wi-Fi standards such as 802.11n, Ozmo's Wi-Fi technology is also more secure than Bluetooth,